This is a nice on, gotta be sharp on the uptake.
closing date: April 25th

This Christmas we will be publishing the Idler book of Idle Pleasures, with excellent illustrations from the marvellous Ged Wells. Knowing what a talented bunch our readers are after the success of all the crap books, we thought we’d leave fifteen of the seventy-odd pleasures up to you. The only stipulation is that each pleasure must either be very cheap or completely free. The best fifteen entries will appear in the book and each writer will get a copy of the book and an invitation to the launch event, which will have a free bar. Entries should be no more than 200 words and be emailed to dan@idler.co.uk. The closing date for entries is April 25th.

Every two years Soho Theatre launches a national competition to find the best new play by an emerging writer. The winner will thrill London audiences with their imaginative, daring and relevant work.

Workshops
They aim to welcome writers from a variety of backgrounds and levels of experience to take part in a series of their workshops on the process behind creating a new piece of theatre for the VBA.

The Prize
£5000 (in respect of an exclusive option).
a residency at Soho Theatre.
the chance to have their play produced at Soho Theatre.
Writers may submit one unproduced, unpublished full-length play (not shorter than 70 minutes). There is no restriction to subject matter.
The award is open to any writer resident in the British Isles and Republic of Ireland .

Protect the Human is a brand new playwriting competition run by iceandfire theatre in conjunction with Amnesty International UK. The aim of the competition is to explore individual stories of dis placement and conflict, highlighting the power of the 'ordinary' individual voice.

They are looking for plays that imaginatively interpret iceandfire's mission statement of:

"Exploring individual stories of displacement and conflict."

Winning plays will receive a rehearsed reading at The Soho Theatre in London during Amnesty's 'Protect the Human' week, October 2007. The overall winner will be awarded £500 which will be increased to a standard commission plus dramaturgical support if the play goes into full production.